Mason's 5A Flag Football Rankings

Every season the 5A conference if full of top tier teams and a mix of surpise teams. As we head into the season, 2026 is going to look a lot different in 5A from top to bottom. Here is how I ranked the 5A flag football conference for the 2026 season. Please note that first-year programs are not eligible for our preseason rankings. Campo Verde

Rank: 1

Ceiling: 12-0

Floor: 11-1

2025 Season: 19-1; won the 5A championship

Returning Offensive Yard %: 61.7

Returning TD %: 64

Returning Flag Pull %: 47.5

Returning Sack/TFL %: 28.6

Returning INT/PBU %: 72

Since flag football has been an AIA-sanctioned sport, Campo Verde has dominated the 5A conference.

Out of the three seasons it has been an AIA sport, Campo Verde has won two out of the three 5A championships.

Heading into the 2026 season, I see the Coyotes win their third championship in program history.

The talent and the coaching are not just some of the best in Arizona, but in the country.

2027 quarterback Amaya Moreno is one of the main pieces coming back for the Coyotes.

Last season, Moreno threw for 2,117 yards and 43 touchdowns. She also ran for 624 yards and 8 touchdowns in just nine games after transferring in from Mountain Pointe.

Moreno also gets to throw back to one of, if not the best, wide receiver trios in the state.

2028 wide receiver Claire McMahon is another transfer who came in last season, and she made her impact be felt in only six games.

She hauled in 41 catches for 514 yards and 10 touchdowns. This season, she could easily break the 1K receiving mark with a full season.

2028 wide receiver Oakley Dobratz-Blevins is another receiver in the room who has proven to be elite.

Dobratz-Blevins hauled in 1,063 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. On the defensive side, she was also elite as she snagged three interceptions.

The other main piece Campo Verde returns is 2029 athlete Jaiyana Bogan-Jacobs, who proved to be one of Arizona's best two-way players.

On offense, the 5-star basketball player had 969 receiving yards and a whopping 25 touchdowns. While she was elite on offense, she was just as good on defense.

Bogan-Jacobs led Campo Verde with 16 interceptions and almost an interception game.

Overall, this is a Campo Verde team that expects to win the championship, and that is an expectation I expect to be met.

The hardest games for Campo Verde are when they face Highland, ACP, and Chaparral.

Casa Grande

Rank: 2

Ceiling: 12-0

Floor: 10-2

2025 Season: 12-2, lost to Buena in the quarterfinals

Returning Offensive Yard %: 87.9

Returning TD %: 91.9

Returning Flag Pull %: 73.6

Returning Sack/TFL %: 77.9

Returning INT/PBU %: 79.5

While they have not hoisted a gold ball trophy, Casa Grande has also been one of the best teams in 5A for the past four years.

The Cougars put together an impressive year in 2025 but fell short during the playoffs.

This year, though, Casa Grande will be hungry to get to the title game for the first time in program history.

Casa Grande also returns a lot of key players to their program that will help them get to where they want to be.

2027 athlete Kayla Tacker has been the program's cornerstone for the past three years.

She is a dynamic two-way player who is coming off of one of her best seasons yet.

Tacker had 1505 receiving yards and had a total of 27 touchdowns last year.

She has also shown that she is one of the best defensive backs in Arizona.

Tacker snagged 16 interceptions and deflected 16 passes.

Casa Grande also returns their signal caller.

2027 quarterback Sarah Mountz had a remarkable 2025 season and hopes to continue building off of it.

Mountz tossed for 2867 yards and had a great touchdown-to-interception ratio of 46:6. She also added 276 yards on the ground with 4 touchdowns.

Casa Grande also gets back one of their best players from injury.

2027 athlete Lynisee Armstrong is coming off a knee injury that kept her out of the entire 2025 season.

In 2024, Armstrong had 891 receiving yards, 676 rushing yards, and 17 total touchdowns. She was also able to snag 8 interceptions.

This is a team with a lot of talent, and they have one thing on their mind: to put it all together and compete for the 5A title.

Given how talented the team is, plus the coaching, I think Casa Grande will be a top contender.

The hardest games for Casa Grande will be when they face Buena, ACP, and Salpointe.

Chaparral

Rank: 3

Ceiling: 11-1

Floor: 10-2

2025 Season: 13-3, lost to Campo Verde in the 5A championship game

Returning Offensive Yard %: 96.4

Returning TD %: 96.2

Returning Flag Pull %: 95.9

Returning Sack/TFL %: 85.2

Returning INT/PBU %: 99.1

The Chaparral Firebirds are coming off their best season in program history.

They made it all the way to the 5A title game, where they ended up losing to Campo Verde.

Chaparral returns most of their production this season, and I see them being a top team once again.

A player that will make one of the biggest impacts this season for Chaparral is 2028 quarterback Kaelie Weishaar.

Weishaar is coming off a remarkable year that saw her throw for 3171 yards, rush for 822, and have a total of 53 touchdowns on offense.

She should only improve in her junior season.

Weishaar has some help coming back too, as the top target for her in 2025 was 2028 athlete Kendyll Dinh.

Dinh hauled in 1146 yards and 23 touchdowns while also hauling in 7 interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.

Some other key player to look out for in Chaparral is 2027 athlete Stella Hulse.

Hulse was one of the best defenders in 5A last year; she had 27, yes, 27 interceptions last season, making her a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

Chaparral has a plethora of players returning, plus a schedule where they will be favored in pretty much every game they play this season.

Watch out for the Firebirds to make a return to the 5A title game.

The toughest games for the Firebirds are when they take on Horizon, Desert Mountain and Campo Verde.

Buena

Rank: 4

Ceiling: 11-1

Floor: 9-3

2025 Season: 13-3, lost to Chaparral in the semifinals.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 74

Returning TD %: 68.9

Returning Flag Pull %: 66.3

Returning Sack/TFL %: 89.2

Returning INT/PBU %: 53.3

Making it in the top 4 for my preseason rankings is the Buena Colts.

Buena is also coming off their best season in program history as they finished as a top-4 team in the 5A playoffs last year and were close to making it into the title game.

The Colts return a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and I expect them to keep their winning ways up.

A player to watch out for to take a leap is 2028 quarterback Adelina Ortega.

Ortega split reps at quarterback last season but still threw for 2324 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Given the full-time gig, I can see Ortega taking a jump for Buena.

The key piece coming back for the Colts is also 2028 athlete Deztany Toyota-Villalobos.

Last season she hauled in 1,481 yards and 23 touchdowns. She also rushed for 445 yards and 5 touchdowns, proving she was a do-it-all weapon.

Defensively, she proved the same thing as she racked up 12 sacks and six interceptions for Buena.

Toyota-Villalobos had a fantastic 2025 season that she should continue to build off of.

Overall, I see Buena once again being a top team in 5A and giving some of the other contenders trouble in the playoffs.

For the most part, Buena has a favorable schedule that should see them win double-digit games; however, they will have some tough tests along the way.

The toughest games for Buena are when they face Salpointe and Casa Grande.

Verrado

Rank: 5

Ceiling: 12-0

Floor: 10-2

2025 Season: 11-4-1, lost in the quarterfinals to ACP.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 73.8

Returning TD %: 68.9

Returning Flag Pull %: 48.8

Returning Sack/TFL %: 29.5

Returning INT/PBU %: 52.2

Verrado rounds out the top 5 of my preseason rankings list for the 5A conference.

The Vipers are similar to Buena, as they are coming off a great season and made a playoff push last November.

Verrado gets their signal caller back as 2028 quarterback Sanaa Holliday looks to improve off of her sophomore campaign.

In 2025, she threw for 3112 yards and had a total of 38 touchdowns on offense.

Holliday is not the only key returner, though, as the Vipers also get back two elite defensive backs.

2027 defensive back Madison Kesel and 2029 defensive back Jhaylah Scisson made life hard for opposing offenses last year.

Kesel and Scisson combined for 18 interceptions last season, and I envision they bring back that production in 2026.

The Vipers are an intriguing team, as while they bring back a good chunk of players, there will be some new faces making their names known this year.

Verrado has a favorable schedule this season as well, and I don’t see many games giving them trouble this year. They should once again easily be a double-digit win squad.

The toughest teams they face are Mingus Union and Canyon View.

Horizon

Rank: 6

Ceiling: 11-1

Floor: 8-4

2025 Season: 8-4, lost in round one to Buena.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 74.6

Returning TD %: 60

Returning Flag Pull %: 55.4

Returning Sack/TFL %: N/A Insufficient Stats.

Returning INT/PBU %: 38.8

A team that I see taking the biggest jump this year is the Horizon Huskies.

Horizon is a team that is loaded with talented players, as they are entering a new era.

Horizon hired Marino Lee to be the next head coach for the program.

Lee has a track record of knowing what it takes to get the most out of players and secure wins.

Last year, he was the offensive coordinator at Xavier College Prep, an offense that had a massive turnaround from 2024 to 2025.

One Horizon player to watch out for is 2027 quarterback Sydney Puma.

Puma threw for 800 yards and 4 touchdowns, and given the right scheme, I could see her having a breakout year.

Also, 2027 athlete Charley Zamorano is another Horizon player I see making a jump.

In the stats posted for 2025, last year she had 615 total yards on offense while also snagging 7 interceptions on the defensive side.

Overall, for the Huskies, this is a team that will have a lot of players who break out this season and have career years.

For the most part, the Huskies have a schedule that favors them in most of the games they play in 2026. I see them being a top seed in 5A and hosting a playoff game in November.

The toughest games for Horizon are when they face Chaparral and Desert Mountain.

ACP

Rank: 7

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 7-5

2025 Season: 11-6, lost in semifinals to Campo Verde.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 37.8

Returning TD %: 41.5

Returning Flag Pull %: 29.7

Returning Sack/TFL %: 23.1

Returning INT/PBU %: 40

A team that has fallen a little bit in my rankings is ACP.

Unfortunately for the Knights, it is stuff that is out of their control.

They have a lot of production from 2025 that they will need to find elsewhere.

This is still an ACP team, though, that has talent on the roster, and they are well-coached.

One player who could have a larger role for ACP is 2029 running back Melia Sierra Guyader.

Guyader was a touchdown machine last season for ACP as she had 11 total touchdowns. She also ran for 323 yards and hauled in 191 yards.

Another key returner is 2027 defensive back Mia Doyle. She hauled in 3 interceptions for ACP last season and could see her production rise.

This is an ACP team that has some questions, but given the success the program has had previously, I still see the Knights hosting a playoff game in November.

ACP also has a tough schedule, and they will have battles every week.

The toughest games for ACP are when they face Chaparral, Casa Grande and Campo Verde, who are my top three ranked teams in 5A heading into the season.

Desert Mountain

Rank: 8

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 7-5

2025 Season: 8-6-1, lost to Canyon View in round one.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 85.2

Returning TD %: 88.9

Returning Flag Pull %: 85.8

Returning Sack/TFL %: 80.9

Returning INT/PBU %: 86.7

The Desert Mountain Wolves are one of the more intriguing teams in 5A heading into the season.

The Wolves are coming off a solid year that saw them go above .500 and even make their way into the playoffs.

This is a team, though; given their returning production, I could see them winning a playoff game this year.

A huge piece of the puzzle returning is 2028 athlete Caroline Workman.

Workman was a do-it-all player for the Wolves last year, and I see her having an even better season in 2026.

Last year on offense, Workman threw 1772 yards, ran for 705 and had 21 total touchdowns.

Defensively, she was just as good, as she led the Wolves in interceptions with a ridiculous 17 on the year.

2029 rusher Sasha Drelick is another key piece on the defense coming back.

As only a freshman last year, Drelick led the Wolves with 10 sacks. Now with a full year under her belt at the high school level, I only expect that number to go up.

The Wolves return a lot of talent, and it will be in their favor in 5A as the conference is loaded with solid teams throughout.

Desert Mountain will have some tough games this year, but I still see them being an 8+ win team that can host a playoff game.

The toughest games for Desert Mountain this year are when they face Chaparral, Horizon, and Campo Verde.

North

Rank: 9

Ceiling: 12-0

Floor: 11-1

2025 Season: 13-1, lost to Chaparral in quarterfinals.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 100

Returning TD %: 100

Returning Flag Pull %: 100

Returning Sack/TFL %: 100

Returning INT/PBU %: 100

Every season, the North Mustangs are one of the best teams in 5A and rarely lose.

This is also a team that returns 100 percent production across the board.

The Mustangs only graduated one senior in 2025, and they are quite literally running it back.

One key returner for North is 2027 quarterback Jizzelle Escoffery.

Escoffery had a great year in 2025 as she threw for 1287 yards and 24 touchdowns. She also showed off her dual-threat ability as she ran for 539 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Another key player for the Mustangs is 2027 rusher Avyanna Buchanan.

Buchanan was one of the best rushers in Arizona last year and was a key piece in North's dominant defense.

She had an incredible 34 sacks and 40 tackles for loss last year for her team.

Given their schedule, I could easily see North going undefeated, as they have one of the easiest schedules in 5A this year.

Toughest games for North are Lake Havasu and McClintock.

Canyon View

Rank: 10

Ceiling: 9-3

Floor: 6-6

2025 Season: 11-7, lost to Campo Verde in the quarterfinals.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 41.3

Returning TD %: 52.3

Returning Flag Pull %: 34.4

Returning Sack/TFL %: 34.1

Returning INT/PBU %: 42.9

The Canyon View Jaguars round out my top 10 in my 5A preseason rankings.

Similar to ACP, Canyon View lost a lot of talent, plus a new head coach, so they will have more questions about them as opposed to

However, this is still a program that has left a legacy of being one of the best teams in Arizona.

While there will be new faces stepping up, the Jaguars still have some players that return for them.

2029 quarterback Nataley Laing had an impressive freshman season that she should be able to build off of.

During the 2025 year, she threw for 2211 yards and 32 total touchdowns.

The key returner on the defensive side for Canyon View is 2028 defensive back Zariyah Odom.

Odom was third in interceptions for the Jaguars last year with 4 and also had 5 flag pulls for loss.

Canyon View is still a team with talent, plus they have a lot of games on their schedule where they should pick up some easy victories.

I still expect Canyon View to be a playoff team in 5A and could even surprise a lot of people and be a top 8 seed again in 2026.

The two toughest games for Canyon View are when they play Hamilton and Buena.

Lake Havasu

Rank: 11

Ceiling: 10-2

Floor: 7-5

2025 Season: 9-3, lost to North in round one.

Returning Offensive Yard %: 85.1

Returning TD %: 85.5

Returning Flag Pull %: 74.4

Returning Sack/TFL %: 90.9

Returning INT/PBU %: 70.4

At number 11 on my list, I have the Lake Havasu Knights.

The Knights are coming off an impressive 9-3 season and bring back a majority of their production from 2025.

Every returning production category is over 70 percent, which gives me good reason to believe Lake Havasu will again be a playoff team in 5A.

A key returner for Lake Havasu is 2028 quarterback McKenna Nutt.

Nutt was the starting quarterback last year for the Knights and tossed for 1617 yards and 24 touchdowns, and also ran for 400 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Lake Havasu also returns two key defensive backs that will help their secondary room in 2026.

2027 defensive back Vivian Velazquez and 2028 defensive back Skye Light combined for 15 interceptions last year for the Knights and help the defense be elite in multiple games last year.

Overall, Lake Havasu will have a lot of games that they are favored in and only a few that will give them trouble.

The games that will give Lake Havasu the most trouble are when they face Canyon View and Verrado.

Nogales

Rank: 12

Ceiling: 7-5

Floor: 5-7

2025 Season: 6-7, lost to Chaparral in round one.

Returning Offensive Yard %: N/A

Returning TD %: N/A

Returning Flag Pull %: N/A

Returning Sack/TFL %: N/A

Returning INT/PBU %: N/A

The Nogales Apaches round out my top 12 5A preseason rankings list.

Nogales had a year in which they ended up making it into the playoffs before eventually losing to Chaparral.

While there are no stats available for Nogales, they are always a team that secures wins and gets the most out of the players on the given roster.

Nogales will have some tough games this year when they take on Buena twice, Casa Grande, and Salpointe.

Overall, though, this is a team that has a lot of winnable games on the schedule and can get into the playoffs again.